Cartwheels

This morning, Tania gave me a little present. It is a new friend.

<---This guy. He came in that bag.

I was really missing my friends from Hawaii last night, and she wanted to make me feel better. She says I can talk to him when I'm sad. His head is stuffed with underwear that her Grandma got her that are way too big.

I thought it might not rain today, and I wanted to walk somewhere, anywhere, to remind me that Portland is pretty and that I'm not sorry I moved here.

But truly, my heart is very heavy today. I miss my friends. I miss my little loft studio. I miss when the ocean was in my backyard and Tania and I used to feed the crabs. I miss swimming in the ocean with Lu in the sling. I miss barbecuing with friends every weekend. I miss driving to North Shore with Joey and eating sushi and drinking beer. I miss wine nights with the girls. I miss going to the store and seeing fifteen people I know. I miss seeing the sun and Aloha shirts every day.

But enough about that.

Tania has been practicing her cartwheels. She can't keep her legs straight. Otherwise, she'd have it already.

We ate pancakes for breakfast. Mine were raspberry pancakes. Tania likes hers plain. Joey had to work this morning, but he's not a real pancakes guy anyway. He likes bacon and eggs.

I listened to NPR and wrote in my journal. I have really grown to like Car Talk, even though I don't have a car and I'm not a real car gal. The guys are funny. And of course, This American Life; Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me; and Prairie Home Companion are true treasures.

Then, around 2:30, Joey came home from work and we walked to the Sellwood-Moreland library. It was a nice 2 1/2-mile walk there. It was so nice. Sellwood is a such a cute little town with unique stores and beautiful streets and homes. I think I might like to live there eventually.

The library might be the smallest one I've ever been to. But it is really cute. I got some knitting books for Tania and me. We are ready to learn, I think. Surprisingly, they have a very extensive selection of children's knitting books. Tania got several fairy tale books from medieval times and different cultures. I got some costume books for Tania. I also got a Spanish Level I set for me to learn, so I have an edge at Legal Aid. I tried to learn last spring, but law school got in the way.

We went to the Sellwood New Seasons, which was insanely busy. We got really tired on the walk home.

We ate spaghetti with meat sauce for dinner and had a $6 bottle of Sangiovese. And during dinner, we listened to Jake Shimabukuro on NPR. Way to make me miss Hawaii even more!

Then Joey read The Korean Cinderella to the girls. He's going to bed early, because he has to work again tomorrow.

Anyway, I had a great day! I was sad when I woke up, but I'm happy going to bed.